378 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 15, 1884. 
As regards watering, no fruit-bearing plant requires so 
much as the Vine. If the borders are well drained it is 
almost impossible to give them too much, and in any case 
the roots should constantly be in a moist condition as long 
as the wood and fruit are developing and the leaves are 
green.—A Kitchen Gardener. 
HARDWOODED GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 
The excellent article by Mr. Bardney on winter-flowering Ericas 
in the Journal of April 17th suggests further consideration and 
discussion of the extremely handsome class of Australian, or what 
were once called New Holland plants, that require in many respects 
treatment similar to the Ericas, and, like them, appear to be sadly 
neglected in private gardens. As the present is probably the most 
suitable time for cutting back or repotting many of the winter and 
spring-flowering species, a better could not be chosen for bringing a 
selection before your readers, together with some remarks on their 
cultivation. It is to be hoped that others will contribute information 
which may induce new cultivators to start, if only with a few healthy 
plants, and advise those who have not hitherto succeeded satis¬ 
factorily to buy again. If they will give careful attention to potting 
and watering success will probably be attained, and they will be 
assisting to again popularise such valuable plants for greenhouse and 
conservatory decoration. 
Many are well adapted for culture in small pots, and although 
perhaps the majority flower in spring when there are plenty of other 
plants available for decoration, yet for beauty and interest hard- 
wooded plants seem to stand out conspicuously, and to have an 
advantage over ttieir softwooded associates. Not a few are, more¬ 
over, profuse bloomers, and are invaluable for cutting. Probably the 
greater ease with which softwooded plants are grown, and the extra 
attention given in raising new and improved forms of late years, 
have caused the great neglect of the other class, or it may be their 
merits are not sufficiently well known. Certainly there is but little 
demand for the latter at present, and some nurserymen seem almost 
to have discontinued their propagation. 
The flowering season may be prolonged over a lengthened period 
by growing different genera and species that succeed each other. 
'Ihus Acacias, Diosmas. Eriostemons, Boronia megastigma and B. 
tetrandra, Tetratheca hirsuta, and Adenandra fragrans flower in 
winter and early spring. Epacris microphylla, a beautiful compact 
species with pure white flowers; Aotus gracillima, a slender-growing 
shrub thickly set with brown and gold-coloured flowers, extremely 
pretty ; Pimelea elegans, Polygala Dalmaisiana, Hibbertia Beedii, 
Oxylobium ellipticum, Boronia elatior, and B. polygalifolia are in 
good condition just now, or in some cases just past their best. Succeed¬ 
ing these are Pimelea decussata and Dillwynia ericoides, which are 
just opening their buds. Bauera rubioides, Muraltia Heisteria, Gre- 
villea Thelemanniana, and Tetratheca verticillata may be said to 
. continue in flower as long as the plants are growing. 
The whole of these, and many others of a similar nature, require 
the most careful attention in the selection of soil, in potting, and 
watering. Fibrous peat, neither boggy nor spongy, with sharp silver 
sand are required for all. In addition we used some loam last year, 
particularly for the Acacias, and having considered it advantageous 
have again used some this year. Most of the plants named above 
require cutting over much in the same way as Heaths, and the period 
when this is done is the most critical in the year with them. They 
should be kept close when at this stage, but if possible free from 
lire heat, provided the day temperature does not fall below 45° or 
the night 5° less. Slight syringings and supplying very little water 
at the roots is apparently the best plan to induce them to break, and 
after this repotting should be at once proceeded with. Those in 
bad health must have the old soil removed and the plants placed 
into smaller pots, while those healthy and having good roots should 
.have a moderate shift. Pots 2 inches larger are in most cases 
: sufficient, the balls of roots being retained almost intact if in good 
-condition, but reduced if otherwise and returned to proportionate 
-sizes. Pot firmly without burying the stems, again place the plants 
in the same quarters, and slightly shade them from bright sunshine. 
They will not require water at the roots for nearly a week, but should 
be kept close and syringed once or twice daily' - until established, when 
air may be gradually admitted. 
We prefer shading from bright sunshine with thin material during 
the summer to prevent the roots being scorched. It is, however, 
important that it should be discontinued as soon as the hottest 
weather is over, and full exposure to sun with plenty of air given 
during the autumn. Without thoroughly ripened growth in this, as 
in so many other cases, free flowering cannot be insured. Bain 
water is much preferable for watering, as it is free from lime. This 
ingredient is a very destructive one to any hardwooded plant of the , 
class under notice. Where lain water cannot be obtained, and other 
has to be used, it should be exposed for some time to the sun and 
air, or have a small bag of soot placed in the vessel, which greatly 
assists in softening it. Nearly all the water in at least the southern 
parts of England has a certain portion of lime dissolved in it. 
Perhaps that from the pipes of the water companies in and around 
London is the worst for watering plants. 
I should advise comparative restriction in the size of pots used. 
Hardwooded plants have very small roots, and they generally keep 
much healthier if they are somewhat restricted. Many form useful 
little plants and flower freely in CO and 48-sized pots. Acacia lineata, 
A. armata, A. longifolia, and probably the best of all, Acacia 
Drummondii, are admirably adapted for flowering in these sizes. 
In addition to those plants already enumerated I would strongly 
recommend the following as being worthy of attention and cultiva¬ 
tion. Goodia lotifolia, free-growing and very floriferous ; Hedaroma 
tulipifera, H. fimbriata, Eutaxia myrtifolia, and Dracophyllum 
gracile. 
Figures and descriptions of many of the above-named plants 
appeared in the Journal of Horticulture last year. Nearly all of 
them are natives of Australia and New Zealand, but some are from 
the Cape of Good Hope.—J. G. 
CARROTS AND THE CARROT MAGGOT. 
A curious fact regarding this came under my notice last year in a 
garden where the maggot annually destroys every Carrot with the excep¬ 
tion of the Early Horn varieties, which are generally used before that 
dread insect has had time to attack them. All the Carrots comprising 
the main crop (and they were sown in different parts of the garden) were 
completely destroyed in a very short time, and that immediately after they 
were thinned, the roots at the time being about the thickness of a man’s 
finger. On the first appearance of the enemy the ground was heavily 
dressed with soot, but this evidently had no effect, as the ravages were 
continued until the whole crop was destroyed with the exception of the 
ends of two or three rows which had inadvertently been left unthinned. 
The treatment given to the whole crop was similar in every detail except 
that these few ends were left unthinned; and strange as it may seem, these 
were left quite uninjured, while the others were entirely destroyed. What 
reasons can he assigned for this I oannot say, hut would it not be worth 
while leaving a few unthinned until strong enough to resist the attacks of 
6uch a dire enemy ? Have any readers of the Journal had similar exper » 
ence ?— Caledonian. 
“BIG” ROSES. 
“ Have you seen Her Majesty P No P Well, go at once to 
the far end of the tent. It is a most wonderful Rose.” These 
words were addressed to me by an intensely excited friend ou 
the 4th of July last year, just as I had finished my part in the 
judging at the National Rose Society’s South Kensington Show. 
I followed my friend to the stand of cut Roses presided over by 
that successful raiser Mr. Bennett of Shepperton. Certainly, I 
was able to endorse my friend’s opinion, for Her Majesty, as 
shown then and there, was a most wonderful Rose. Yes, a 
wonderful production, but to my mind a splendid monstrosity. 
The worth of many of Mr. Bennett’s pedigree Roses no true 
rosarian would now dispute, and the singular beauty and refine¬ 
ment of some of them is in so great a contrast to Her Majesty 
that I, for one, can only believe that the raiser looks upon this 
one as a monstrous curiosity, and Mr. Bennett is so true a 
rosarian that he will not allow “ his latest ” to be distributed in 
this country, thinking her more suitable for England’s big 
daughter on the other side of the Atlantic! 
But my object in writing to the Journal of Horticulture is not 
to denounce this marvellous production, for it will be useful for 
walls, but to enter my feeble protest against this modern rage 
for size in Roses. The ladies do not like these “ big ’uns,” and 
surely their taste is not to be gainsaid. I heard many and 
many a remark last summer at the different shows, such as, 
“ What a big coarse thing! I don’t like it at all.” Mr. Cant’s 
Souvenir d’Elise was denounced by hundreds; and though it was 
not quite so large a bloom as the one of the same variety which 
occupied the premier position the year before, yet it lacked the 
colour and finish of the 1882 flower. To my mind, we are 
making a great mistake in this craving for size. Take up th 
ordinary nurseryman’s catalogue, and in the descriptions of 
some of our most beautiful Roses is added in each case a sort of 
apology for a deformity (P). Mons. E. Y. Teas, Mrs. Laxton, 
Duchess of Bedford, Duke of Teck, Madame Noman have one 
and all heard the nurserymen’s wail of regret, “ Ah, how perfect 
you would be if only you would grow and get fat! ” And yet I 
firmly believe that 75 per cent, of exhibitors of the queen of 
flowers, had they not been coached into this craze for size by the 
bad example of successful exhibitors, would in their hearts 
prefer the form and beauty of some of the above-mentioned 
